Government issue statement about maximum temperature allowed in the workplace

The Health and Safety Authority has issued a statement about the maximum temperature allowed in the workplace.

According to them, there is no maximum allowable temperature existing in current legislation, but they have warned employees and employers to apply "common sense." The HSA has said they've received a lot of questions lately about workable conditions in the heat. Ireland is currently in the midst of a heatwave with temperatures as high as 30 degrees expected to stick around until next week. They said that places of work should consult their staff during this time to "ensure an optimum outcome." They said:

"Our advice is to apply common sense in any situation. For example, if a formal dress code is the norm it might be appropriate to relax it during the high temperatures. "Plenty of fresh water should be provided and employers might consider placing fans in appropriate locations."

The HSA added that outdoor workers needed to take extra precautions as their situation could be more serious.

"Appropriate clothing should be worn to protect from UV rays and sunscreen should be regularly applied. "Again, plenty of water should be available. Workers should never remove safety gear such as hard hats or steel toed footwear as a means of coping with high temperatures."